The scaffolding will come off the Hillsdale County Courthouse by Nov. 15. Catherine Maxwell | Collegian

A renovation to the Hillsdale County Courthouse costing more than $10 million will wrap up this fall after more than two years, according to County Commissioner Doug Ingles.

The scaffolding could come down as soon as Nov. 15, Ingles said. The project will be finished and all construction equipment and workers off the property by Dec. 1, according to Brian Lockie, business development specialist for contractor Renaissance Historic Exteriors. 

“The Hillsdale County Courthouse is a structure that was built utilizing lifelong building materials,” Lockie said. “With continued proper maintenance and stewardship, the building’s new roofing and guttering with the restored masonry will enable it to serve the residents of the county for another century.”

What originally started as a roof repair became a full renovation project when Renaissance discovered deterioration to the stonework of the building, according to Ingles. After an evaluation, Ingles said the company discovered damage to the stonework, cupola, bell tower, and clock tower. 

Ingles, who represents District 1, said the construction of a new courthouse would exceed $40 million, according to estimates. 

The county signed contracts for the current project in February 2023, according to Lockie, and set the original completion date for the spring of 2024. 

County Commissioner Mark Wiley, who represents District 3, said the commissioners took each setback as it came.

“I believe we resolved all issues and were able to keep the project moving,” Wiley said.

Ingles said after about 100 years without maintenance, it is not surprising that the building needed serious repairs.

“There have not been unexpected delays,” Ingles said. “The scope of the project has grown. It grew because of safety and structure.”

The renovations included replacing or repairing a significant number of stones from the courthouse, which were in danger of falling, according to Ingles. A few years ago, one stone did fall from the clock tower onto the lower roof.

“These stones, when they were initially built, were anchored with iron bars,” Ingles said. “The iron bars, in 100 years, have rusted and disintegrated so that they no longer were attached. So gravity was the only thing holding that stone in.”

The stones have now been replaced or refurbished and re-anchored, Ingles said. Other renovations included replacing the rotted wood of the coppula and recovering it with copper, replacing 116 windows, and replacing the clock face.

The clock and bell mechanisms are now connected to a programmed software controlled by the county facilities team. Ingles said the bell has not worked in years, and the clock did not keep time before the update this summer.

“By my Apple Watch, it’s to the minute,” Ingles said.

The company is going through punch cards to finish construction, according to Ingles.

“One of the mansards still needs copperwork, which is why the scaffolding is still up,” Ingles said. “Once they do the copper work, then the top layer of scaffolding will come down. They will finish up the roof at that point where the scaffolding currently stands. And then the roof will be complete, and they’ll be able to take down everything else all the way around the building.”

At the top of the coppula, construction workers found damage to the spire and ball, according to Ingles.

“On this spire, they had bullet holes,” Ingles said. “I think they counted 37 bullet holes. Through the 100 years, people have taken shots at it.”

Renaissance has suggested regular maintenance to the building every five years, according to Lockie.

The original funding for the project came from American Rescue Plan Act money, according to Ingles, which amounted to $8 million. Additional funds came from an interdepartmental loan in the county.

“We are spending money, yes,” Ingles said. “We are being the best stewards that we possibly can be, and we’re maintaining a building that’s a historic building for our community, and that means something to a lot of people.”

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